Department for Transport

Bus Services: Shropshire

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his planned timetable is for making a decision on Shropshire Council's bid for Government funding for bus services across Shropshire as part of the Government's Bus Back Better strategy.

Trudy Harrison: At the Budget we announced £1.2bn of dedicated funding for Bus Service Improvement Plans as part of the £3 billion we have committed to improve bus services over the course of this Parliament. Our aim is to announce indicative funding allocations by end of February.

France: Blue Badge Scheme

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department is making on negotiations with the French government on the recognition of UK Blue Badges in that country.

Wendy Morton: The Government remains committed to confirming the status of UK issued Blue Badges for motorists visiting Europe. Twenty countries have already committed to recognising Blue Badges and are listed on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/blue-badge-using-it-in-the-eu/using-a-blue-badge-in-the-european-union Discussions continue with a number of countries. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the progress of discussions while they are on-going.

Bus Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has plans to (a) coordinate an integrated bus strategy and (b) increase leadership for the bus sector.

Trudy Harrison: In March 2021 we published England’s long-term National Bus Strategy, which promotes greater local leadership and collaboration between LTA’s and bus operators. Strong local plans, delivered through Enhanced Partnerships or franchising arrangements will deliver a step change in services that is needed.

Bus Services and Railways: Fares

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has he made of (a) the cost of (i) rail travel and (ii) bus travel on people's transport choices, and (b) the effectiveness of fare levels with regard to attracting more passengers, in the context of rising costs of living.

Wendy Morton: Rail fares increases will be capped and tied to the Retail Price Index (RPI) figure for July 2021 (3.8 per cent). As in 2021, we have temporarily frozen fares for passengers to travel at the lower price for the entirety of January and February 2022 with fares changing on 1 March 2022, allowing passengers to renew their season ticket at a lower price. The Government has deliberately continued to use the July figure as it was lower than subsequent months. The December RPI figure (latest figure) is at 7.5 per cent.We have recently introduced flexible season tickets on rail, which provide better value to most part-time commuters than buying daily tickets or traditional seasons. We have also saved a generation of passengers a third off their rail fares, including the 16-17 Saver and 26-30 Railcards and, most recently, the Veterans Railcard. These provide substantial discounts to rail passengers and encourage the use of rail travel.The Department will also conduct a 12 month review of the flexible season tickets to evaluate their impact. We expect the review to report in the Summer of 2022.With regards to buses, the National Bus Strategy sets out what we want to see on fares, including low flat fares (or maximum fares and daily price caps) to be the norm within cities and towns.

Railways: Females and Minority Groups

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to support the (a) recruitment and (b) training of (i) women and (ii) people from minority groups to work in the rail sector.

Wendy Morton: The Department is committed to ensuring that the transport workforce better reflects our diverse society. On 7 February the Department published a Transport Labour Market and Skills Call for Views and Ideas, which asks for views on the future labour market and skills needs of the transport sector, including how we can do more to target and reduce the barriers to improving diversity, inclusion, and social mobility.The Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail also sets out a commitment to empower rail’s people and the new body, Great British Railways (GBR) will work with the sector to develop a new sector wide workforce plan with a joined up cross-sector training and skills offer. This approach will support a consistent and sustainable approach in future recruitment practices.Passenger services rail operators are required under their respective contracts to provide apprenticeships to people from underrepresented groups within the rail sector. The Department has also included a requirement for passenger services rail operators to apply aspirational targets to encourage the increased recruitment of female and ethnic minority groups.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Hospitality Industry: Portsmouth

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the impact of the spread of the Omicron variant in December 2021 on trends in the level of sales for the hospitality sector; and what plans he has to support local hospitality businesses in Portsmouth.

Paul Scully: In recognition of the impact that the spread of the Omicron variant had on hospitality businesses during December, the Government announced further support for businesses in recognition of the impact that the spread of the Omicron variant had on hospitality. The Government is providing one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises for businesses in the hospitality, accommodation and leisure sectors in England plus more than £100 million discretionary funding will be made available for Local Authorities to support other businesses. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic we have also provided businesses with an unprecedented support package of £400 billion, including grants, loans, business rates relief, VAT cuts and the job retention scheme. This includes a total of over £26 billion in business grants. In July 2021, the Department launched the first-ever hospitality strategy to support the reopening, recovery and resilience of England’s pubs, restaurants, cafes and nightclubs. We have also launched the Hospitality Sector Council to oversee the delivery of the strategy, including working with the sector to make hospitality a career option of choice and looking at the labour and skills shortages. I and officials in the Department continue to engage regularly with the hospitality sector to understand their needs and issues, including monitoring trading conditions.

Hospitality Industry: Government Assistance

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to support hospitality sector businesses in light of recent trends of rising costs for business owners.

Paul Scully: To support all businesses across the UK economy throughout the Covid-19 pandemic we have provided businesses with an unprecedented support package of £400 billion, including grants, loans, business rates relief, VAT cuts and the job retention scheme. This includes a total of over £26 billion in business grants. The Government announced on 21 December that additional support will be available for businesses in recognition of the impact that the spread of the Omicron variant had on hospitality during one of their busiest months. The Government is providing one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises for businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors in England plus more than £100 million discretionary funding will be made available for Local Authorities to support other businesses – a lifeline for many small hospitality businesses. In July 2021, the Department launched the first-ever hospitality strategy to support the reopening, recovery and resilience of England’s pubs, restaurants, cafes and nightclubs. We have also launched the Hospitality Sector Council to oversee the delivery of the strategy. I and officials in the Department continues to speak regularly with the hospitality sector to understand their needs and issues, includes trading conditions and represent these across Government.

Trade Unions: Electronic Voting

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many trials of electronic balloting have taken place since the publication of the Knight review.

Paul Scully: Before responding to the recommendations of Sir Ken Knight’s e-balloting review, including any trials of electronic balloting, the government is required by Section 4 of the Trade Union Act 2016 to consult relevant organisations, including professionals from expert associations, to seek their advice and recommendations.

Coal

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of (a) the reduction in global coal use since 2010 to date and (b) progress made in meeting the target of 80 per cent reduction by 2030.

Greg Hands: The International Energy Agency estimates that coal use remains modestly above 2010 levels, with continued very low growth to 2024. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from global coal use remains a key Government priority. For example, the UK’s COP26 Energy Transition Campaign helped secure a 190-strong coalition of countries and organisations at COP26, including coal power phase out commitments from Poland, Vietnam, Egypt, Chile and Morocco, building on the Government’s co-leadership of the Powering Past Coal Alliance. The Government has committed to phasing out unabated coal generation in Great Britain by October 2024. Coal power generation in this country has declined from almost 40% of our electricity supply in 2012 to less than 2% in 2020.

Housing: Insulation

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to provide urgent insulation to low-income households in order to help with increased gas and electric bills in response to Ofgem's energy cap increase.

Greg Hands: In the Heat and Buildings Strategy, the Government set out a comprehensive package of measures to retrofit the nation’s buildings. The Government has also announced over £3.9 billion of new funding for decarbonising heat and buildings, bringing this Parliament’s commitment to £6.6 billion. Much of this funding has gone towards grant schemes which improve the energy efficiency of low-income homes through measures such as insulation. These schemes include the Local Authority Delivery Scheme, the Home Upgrade Grant, and the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, which will all deliver upgrades this year. In addition, the government have committed to extending the Energy Company Obligation Scheme from 2022 to 2026, boosting its value from £640 million to £1 billion a year. This will help an extra 305,000 households with green measures including insulation.

Warm Home Discount Scheme

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many people on prepayment meters have (a) applied and (b) been approved for the Warm Home Discount scheme in each of the last 5 years.

Greg Hands: Energy suppliers are responsible for administering the Warm Home Discount and applying rebates to their eligible customers’ accounts. They are not required to report on the number of rebates issued to customers broken down by the payment methods their customers use for their energy bills. We therefore do not hold data on the number of prepayment customers who receive the Warm Home Discount rebate. We consulted last summer on reforms to the scheme that would enable the vast majority of customers to receive their rebate automatically, without the need to apply. We will publish the Government’s Response in the spring, with the reforms coming into force from the 2022/23 scheme year.

Warm Home Discount Scheme

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many people on prepayment meters have been (a) issued with and (b) redeemed discount vouchers after successfully being approved for the Warm Home Discount scheme in each of the last five years.

Greg Hands: Energy suppliers are responsible for administering the Warm Home Discount and applying rebates to their eligible customers’ accounts. They are not required to report on the number of rebates issued to customers broken down by the payment methods their customers use for their energy bills. We therefore do not hold data on the number of prepayment customers who receive the Warm Home Discount rebate. We consulted last summer on reforms to the scheme that would enable the vast majority of customers to receive their rebate automatically, without the need to apply. We will publish the Government’s Response in the spring, with the reforms coming into force from the 2022/23 scheme year.

Warm Home Discount Scheme

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government taken to help increase energy suppliers outreach programmes that help people with prepayment meters to apply for the Warm Home Discount scheme.

Greg Hands: In the 2021/22 scheme year, all low-income pensioners who are potentially eligible for a rebate under the Warm Home Discount Core Group will have received a letter from the Government by mid-December 2021, regardless of their energy bill payment method. Most will receive the rebate automatically; in 2020/21, around 95% of Core Group recipients received their rebates automatically. In addition, the Warm Home Discount website is widely signposted and used by consumer groups, charities, and energy comparison websites to maximise uptake. Energy suppliers are responsible for administering their Broader Group rebates, including setting their eligibility criteria and providing the rebates to eligible households. Suppliers make their customers aware of the scheme and are usually over-subscribed with applications. We consulted last summer on reforms to the scheme that would enable the vast majority of customers to receive their rebate automatically, without the need to apply. We will publish the Government’s Response in the spring, with the reforms coming into force from the 2022/23 scheme year.

Warm Home Discount Scheme

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what is the average time taken between application and issuing of the Warm Home Discount scheme vouchers to people on prepayment meters.

Greg Hands: For all payment methods, energy suppliers generally start issuing Warm Home Discount rebates in October in a scheme year and have until 31 March to apply the rebate to eligible customers’ energy bills. They may, however, provide rebates at any time before this deadline, with most rebates being provided to customers by January in a scheme year. These timings allow for the data matching process and eligibility checks to be undertaken and the delivery of over 2.2 million £140 rebates to vulnerable households when they need it most, around wintertime. The Broader Group is the only application-based portion of the scheme, and it is administered by energy suppliers. Energy suppliers are responsible for arranging their own Broader Group processes and applying rebates to their eligible customers’ accounts, including deciding how customers can apply for a rebate, when to open for applications, how they verify applications, and when they pay rebates during the scheme year. They are not required to report on the number of rebates issued to customers broken down by the payment methods their customers use for their energy bills. We therefore do not hold data on the number of prepayment customers who receive the Warm Home Discount rebate. We consulted last summer on reforms to the scheme that would enable the vast majority of customers to receive their rebate automatically, without the need to apply. This would reduce the time needed to verify customers’ eligibility. We will publish the Government’s Response in the spring, with the reforms coming into force from the 2022/23 scheme year.

Warm Home Discount Scheme

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had recent discussions with his Cabinet colleagues on the effectiveness of the Warm Home Discount scheme at reaching people on prepayment meters.

Greg Hands: The Warm Home Discount is a key policy in the Government’s programme to tackle fuel poverty and the effects of rising energy prices on low-income households, irrespective of which payment methods households use. In the current scheme year (2021/22), we expect that over 2.2 million households will receive a rebate on their energy bills, and a total of over £3 billion of direct assistance has been provided to low-income and vulnerable households since the scheme began in April 2011. Energy suppliers generally issue rebate payments to prepayment meter customers by voucher. These vouchers can be redeemed by the customer to add credit to their meter. The Government has committed to extending the Warm Home Discount to at least 2025/26 and expanding the spending envelope from the current £350m to £475m (in 2020 prices) per year, which will enable a further 780,000 households to access the scheme. We consulted last summer on reforms to the scheme that will enable the vast majority of rebates to be provided automatically, without customers having to apply. These reforms will make the scheme fairer, easier for eligible customers to access, and better targeted towards fuel poverty. We will publish the Government’s Response in the spring, with the reforms coming into force from the 2022/23 scheme year.

Drax Power Station: Carbon Emissions

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many tonnes of CO2 are emitted from the Drax power station as a result of burning wood pellets each year.

Greg Hands: The Government does not hold data on stack emissions from wood pellet burning at Drax. Ofgem publishes data on company-specific supply chain emissions from biomass, which can be found here https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/biomass-sustainability-dataset-2019-20

Energy: Meters

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to remove the fee charged by energy companies to consumers when switching from a pre-payment to a standard meter.

Greg Hands: Rules around the amount energy suppliers can charge for switching meter types are set by Ofgem. Ofgem expect that customers should not be penalised because of their choice of payment method, whether by prepayment or standard credit meter, and any charges should be reflective of the cost to the supplier. Ofgem permits suppliers to charge less than the actual cost or to waive the charge of installing or removing a prepayment meter, particularly where this can benefit customers in vulnerable situations. The Government will continue to work with Ofgem to consider what reforms are needed for future retail market regulation.

Energy: Prices

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will hold discussions with energy companies operating prepayment meters on the potential merits of increasing the (a) temporary credit and (b) extra temporary credit available to households with those meters.

Greg Hands: Ofgem has robust rules in place to protect Prepayment meter customers. In December 2020 Ofgem introduced Licence Conditions that require energy suppliers to provide extra support for customers using prepayment meters. These include an obligation on suppliers to make emergency and friendly-hours credit available to all pre-payment meter customers. In addition, where a supplier identifies that a prepayment customer is in a vulnerable situation, including where a customer is self-disconnecting or self-rationing their supply, they must also offer additional support credit. When assessing how a customer will repay any credit offered, suppliers must also consider their ability to pay.

Energy: Meters

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will ask energy companies to equalise tariffs on a standard meter with those on pre-payment meters.

Greg Hands: Supply Licence Conditions, as enforced by the independent energy regulator Ofgem, stipulate payments must reflect the cost to the supplier. The costs of supplying prepayment meters compared to standard meters are higher due to the different meter requirements and different payment systems. The Energy Price Cap ensures those on prepayment meters pay a fair price for their energy.

Energy: Billing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the energy companies on the speculative increase that they are placing on direct debit payments to anticipate the increase in energy prices.

Greg Hands: The Government is monitoring the increases in wholesale energy prices closely, and meeting regularly with Ofgem, suppliers and consumer groups to understand the future impact on consumers. The Government has announced a rebate of £200 on energy bills from the autumn to help households deal with the unprecedented increase in energy prices. In addition, the Government has announced further support for delivery outside of the energy system to help with the wider cost of living, with a £150 payment for the 80% of English households in council tax bands A through D.

Energy: Prices

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to offset the increase in energy prices for (a) the elderly, (b) disabled people who are unable to work and (c) other people who are not in work.

Greg Hands: The Government is committed to protecting customers from price spikes, particularly vulnerable customers. The Warm Home discount provides over 2 million households a £140 rebate off their energy bill each winter, and there are plans to increase it to £150 and help an extra 780,000 households. The Energy Company Obligation is being expanded to £1.billion p.a. which will ensure energy suppliers help 133,000 low-income households a year to permanently lower their bills by an average of £290 p.a. via insulation and new heating. From October, households in Great Britain will receive a £200 cash rebate on their energy costs. A £150 non-repayable reduction in Council Tax bills for (English) households in Bands A-D will apply from April with £144 million of discretionary funding for Local Authorities to support households who need support but are not eligible for the Council Tax reduction. The Government has also provided an extra £500 million for local authorities through the new Household Support Fund to provide help to millions of the most in need. The Energy Price Cap will remain in place at least till the end of 2022 to ensure millions of customers pay a fair price for their energy.

Energy: Prices

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to take steps to ensure that people who claim benefits receive full relief on the increase in their energy prices.

Greg Hands: The Government meets regularly with Ofgem, energy suppliers and consumer groups, and works with suppliers to support vulnerable consumers to save energy and reduce their bills. The Warm Home discount provides over 2 million households a £140 rebate off their energy bill each winter, and there are plans to increase it to £150 and help an extra 780,000 households. Moreover, Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments help ensure the most vulnerable are better able to heat their homes over the colder months. The Chancellor of the Exchequer also recently announced a £200 rebate for households delivered via their energy bill this autumn, paid back automatically over the next 5 years, a £150 non-repayable reduction in Council Tax bills for all households in Bands A-D in England and £144 million of discretionary funding for Local Authorities to support households who need support but are not eligible for the Council Tax reduction.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Screening

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to guidance that a follow up PCR test is not required following a positive lateral flow test, what measures are in place to ensure that staff members off work as a result of positive covid-19 tests have appropriate documentation to prove the basis for their absence to employers other than a picture of a lateral flow test.

Maggie Throup: It is important that anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 continues to report their lateral flow device (LFD) test results through the usual LFD reporting system on GOV.UK or by calling 119. Workers are legally required to tell their employers when they have a legal duty to self-isolate if they cannot work from home. However, there is no obligation for them to show their test results to their employer. If an employer has concerns about absence in the workplace, they should follow their usual procedures.

Sickle Cell Diseases: Health Services

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve sickle cell patient care in response to avoidable deaths and failures of care for sickle cell patients in secondary care.

Maria Caulfield: The Department is taking several steps to improve sickle cell patient care. These are in line with the recommendations of the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sickle Cell and Thalassemia, published in November 2021, titled ‘No One’s Listening’. The Department has been commissioned to coordinate a cross system action plan, as part of the health disparities white paper, about how we can work to address each of these recommendations. Additionally, the England Rare Diseases action plan, due for publication in February, will detail steps towards meeting the priorities of the 2021 UK Rare Diseases Framework, including actions to improve awareness of rare diseases, such as sickle cell, amongst healthcare professionals.

Mental Health Services: Staff

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2022 to Question 113694 on mental health support teams, how many staff make up the average mental health support team.

Gillian Keegan: The average mental health support team will typically consist of eight whole time equivalent (WTE) staff, including four WTE education mental health practitioners, three WTE senior clinicians or higher-level therapists, 0.5 WTE team manager and 0.5 WTE administration support officer.

Alcoholism: Rehabilitation

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will hold a consultation with (a) hon. Members and (b) Directors of Public Health on local approaches, initiatives and challenges for alcohol dependency, prevention and treatment.

Gillian Keegan: No such consultation is planned. However, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has regular meetings with national drug and alcohol treatment service providers to address operational challenges throughout the pandemic. As part of the Drug Strategy, stakeholders from commissioners, national service providers, Directors of Public Health, local authorities and people with lived experience of alcohol and drug misuse have helped to shape the new drug and alcohol treatment national commissioning standard.The OHID’s national drug and alcohol implementation support team and regional leads will be supporting drug and alcohol services on the deployment of new funding and implementing system improvements.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the UK Health and Security Agency will publish data on covid-19 outbreaks in care homes.

Gillian Keegan: The UK Health Security Agency publishes data on the number of acute respiratory infection incidents in care homes by virus type, including COVID-19, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2021-to-2022-season

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with stakeholders on bringing covid-19 self-isolation guidance for care homes in line with national guidance.

Gillian Keegan: We have regular meetings to gather input from stakeholders on the development and implementation of policy and guidance for care homes. Since the emergence of the Omicron variant, officials have held weekly meetings with stakeholders in various groups.On 27 January 2022, we announced that the period for which care home residents would be asked to self-isolate would be reduced from 14 days to a maximum of 10 days, effective from 31 January. Positive cases and people with high-risk exposures can end their isolation early, subject to testing and a risk assessment.

Mental Health Services

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his oral evidence to the Health and Social Care Select Committee on 25 January 2022, what plans his Department has to (a) consult on and (b) publish a refreshed mental health plan as part of a revised Long Term Plan for the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Keegan: The Department plans to launch a public discussion paper this spring to inform the development of a new longer term mental health strategy. We also plan to update the NHS Long Term Plan later this year, taking account of the impact of the pandemic. The NHS Long Term Plan’s commitments relevant to National Health Service mental health services will be considered as part of this update.

Social Services: Finance

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to address inequalities in adult social care receipt by (a) age, (b) gender, (c) ethnicity and (d) geography.

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to address inequalities in unmet adult social care need by (a) age, (b) gender, (c) ethnicity and (d) geography.

Gillian Keegan: The white paper ‘People at the Heart of Care’, published on 1 December 2021, includes an enhanced assurance framework, data collections and additional funding to address inequalities by identifying and sharing good practice by local authorities and responding where standards are not being met.Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan the care and support needs of their populations. The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to shape their local markets to ensure a diverse range of quality, person-centred, sustainable care and support services are provided. Local authorities assess whether an individual is eligible for financial support to meet their care needs. Where individuals are not eligible for financial support, local authorities may assist them to make arrangements for care. From October 2023, we will enable more people who fund their own care in care homes to request their local authority to arrange care on their behalf.

Social Services: Finance

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to reconsider the funding formulae for local authorities’ social care, service planning and preventative strategies to take into account inequalities in the need for and experience of adult social care.

Gillian Keegan: On 7 September 2021 the Government announced £5.4 billion over three years for adult social care. This includes over £3.6 billion to reform the social care charging system and enable all local authorities to move towards paying providers a fair rate for care. These changes will remove unpredictable care costs and provide support to those who are currently not eligible for financial support with their care needs. Work is ongoing to consider the most appropriate approach for distributing this funding.We are committed to ensuring that wider funding allocations for councils are based on an up-to-date assessment of their needs and resources. We will work closely with local partners to review challenges and opportunities before consulting on any potential funding reform.

Care Homes: Visits

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the human rights implications of his recently updated care home visiting guidance on the right to private and family life.

Gillian Keegan: In developing the most recent and previous iterations of care home visiting guidance, Department seeks to right balance the duty to protect and promote care home residents’ rights to family life against the risk of incursion of COVID-19 into care homes. Judgements are informed by clinical advice and data from the UK Health Security Agency, the Department’s ethical framework for adult social care and taking into account the views of care home residents and their loved ones. Equality and health impact assessments are carried out to ensure that the rights of those with protected characteristics are upheld.

Sexual Offences

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether prioritisation is given to victims who go through the police referral route to Sexual Assault Referral Centres in England over self-referral routes.

Gillian Keegan: NHS England and NHS Improvement have commission Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) in partnership with regional police and crime commissioners. However, police referrals are not prioritised over self-referrals or any other referral route. SARCs provide accessible support to all who suffer from rape, sexual assault and abuse, including health care and onward referral to other health and social care services. Both police and self-referrals are offered the same access.NHS England has increased the investment into sexual assault and abuse services and continues to review patient pathways and provide new services to meet the needs of the victims and survivors who access them.

Care Homes: Inspections

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many inspections have been carried out by the Care Quality Commission to ensure care homes adhered to the guidance with respect to visiting for families of residents over the last 12 months; and how many care homes have been found not to have been following that guidance.

Gillian Keegan: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) expects providers to follow the Government’s guidance on visiting. The CQC’s adult social care inspectors request information on visiting arrangements on all care home inspections. Between 1 February 2021 and 31 January 2022, the CQC conducted 4,764 inspections of care homes. In 4,597 or 96.5% of inspections, the CQC received assurance that providers were adhering to the guidelines, while in 167 or 3.5% of inspections, this assurance was not received.

Mental Health Services: Children

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what changes have been made to mental health services provision for children to help those services respond to increasing demand as a result of covid-19 outbreak.

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to (a) increase and (b) tailor the provision of mental health services for children in response to increasing demand for those services following the covid-19 outbreak.

Gillian Keegan: We are investing at least an additional £2.3 billion a year to expand mental health services by 2023/24 to enable an extra 345,000 more children and young people to access National Health Service-funded mental health support. In March 2021, we announced an additional £79 million for children’s mental health services in 2021/22 to allow approximately 22,500 more children and young people to access community health services, 2,000 more children and young people to access eating disorder services and accelerate the coverage of mental health support teams in schools and colleges. NHS England and NHS Improvement are also investing a further £40 million in 2021/22 to address the impact of COVID-19 on children and young people’s mental health.

Mental Illness: Children

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of children aged 5-16 have a clinically diagnosable mental problem; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of those children who are receiving appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age.

Gillian Keegan: This information is not held in the format requested. However, NHS Digital’s data shows that approximately one in six children or 17.4% aged between six and 16 years old had a probable mental health disorder in 2021.No specific estimate has been made of the proportion of those children who are receiving such interventions.

Hospitals: Nottinghamshire

Ruth Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress the national discharge taskforce has made on improving the rate of discharge of medically fit patients from hospitals in Nottinghamshire.

Edward Argar: We have provided £3.3 billion via the National Health Service (NHS) to facilitate timely hospital discharges over the pandemic, including £478 million this winter. The NHS is working with local authorities and partners to ensure that medically fit patients can be discharged as soon as possible.The national discharge taskforce has facilitated a national conversation about how to drive progress and support regional and local system arrangements, including in Nottinghamshire, to bring a renewed focus to reducing discharge delays in a sustainable way.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare of 12 November 2021 and 6 January2022 on behalf of his constituent,Joan Davis.

Edward Argar: I replied to the hon. Member on 7 February 2022.

Mental Health Services: Schools

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government plans to make changes to the Mental Health Support Teams model to ensure that it is fit for purpose in SEN schools.

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Mental Health Support Teams model for delivery in SEN schools.

Gillian Keegan: No formal assessment has been made of the adequacy of the mental health support team model for delivery in special educational needs (SEN) schools.Mental health support teams are trained to deliver specific interventions for mild to moderate mental health needs. These interventions can benefit children or young people with special educational needs who have co-occurring mild to moderate mental needs. The core functions of the mental health support team model can also be used to support education settings such as SEN schools to develop their whole school approach to mental health, and to facilitate access to appropriate external specialist services to help children and young people get the right support and stay in education.There are currently no plans to make changes to the model. Mental health support teams have adapted their offer to provide tailored support in SEN schools. However, as these are relatively new teams, it is too soon to be able to share learning from those teams, or to make changes to the model.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of reviewing the prescription charges exemptions list to include long-term conditions such cystic fibrosis.

Gillian Keegan: The Government currently has no plans to review or extend the prescription charge medical exemptions list to include long term conditions such as cystic fibrosis.Around 89% of prescriptions are dispensed free of charge and extensive arrangements are already in place to help those with the greatest need. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension. Some people with cystic fibrosis may meet the eligibility criteria for prescription charge exemptions and may therefore be in receipt of free prescriptions.

Protective Clothing: Ports

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many units of personal protective equipment are in storage in shipping containers at UK ports; how many shipping containers are being used for such purposes and what the cost is to the public purse of that storage.

Edward Argar: The information requested is not held as the Department is not storing personal protective equipment at ports.

Nurses: Training

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of people who have been trained as nurses in the last twelve months.

Edward Argar: In the 2020/21 academic year 18,980 nursing students who trained in England joined the United Kingdom’s Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register for the first time.To join the nursing register a student completes pre-registration training on a nursing degree course before applying to the NMC after they graduate. The NMC publish data on registrations at the following link:https://www.nmc.org.uk/about-us/reports-and-accounts/registration-statistics/The 2020/21 academic year runs from the start of September 2020 to the end of August 2021 and is the latest data available.

Cancer: Health Services

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much of the funding announced in the Spending Review 2021 will be allocated to training new staff for key cancer professions.

Edward Argar: Following the outcome of the Spending Review 2021, spending plans for individual budgets for 2022/23 to 2024/25 inclusive, including for training the cancer workforce, will be subject to a detailed financial planning exercise and finalised in due course.

Treasury

Private Rented Housing: Council Tax

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he will take to ensure that the £150 one-off council tax rebate will be given directly to renters and not to their landlords, in cases where the tenant pays their council tax through their landlord and not directly.

Mr Simon Clarke: The Council Tax Energy Rebate will be paid to whoever is responsible for paying the Council Tax bill. It is for tenants and landlords to agree how the rebate is apportioned between them, reflecting their arrangements for both energy bills and council tax. In cases where landlords include just council tax within the rents they charge, and energy bills are paid separately by tenants, the savings from the Council Tax rebate should be passed on to tenants.

Private Rented Housing: Council Tax

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of renters pay their council tax directly, rather than through their landlord.

Mr Simon Clarke: Local authorities are responsible for administering council tax and determining who is liable. The government does not hold data on the proportion of tenants that pay their council tax directly. Arrangements for paying council tax bills are a matter for tenants and landlords to agree as part of their contractual arrangements.

Revenue and Customs: Portsmouth

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of jobs he expects to be maintained by his Department in Portsmouth in the (a) short term and (b) long term in the context of HMRC’s decision to continue its presence in Portsmouth; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of basing the recently announced 14th national regional centre in Portsmouth at Lynx House; and where his Department plans to base that centre.

Lucy Frazer: On 25 January 2022, HMRC announced its intention to establish a new regional centre in Portsmouth, either in Lynx House or elsewhere in the city. It is expected to take some time for HMRC to work through its plans in detail to determine requirements and establish options for the most suitable location for its Portsmouth Regional Centre. This includes navigating a robust system of internal and external approvals, including National Property Controls approval. The location will be announced in due course.  HMRC currently has a presence of around 900 full time equivalent roles in Portsmouth. It will continue to review its detailed requirements, including whether to increase its presence in Portsmouth, while supporting the Government’s Places for Growth ambitions.

Hospitality Industry: VAT

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the 12.5 per cent VAT rate until the end of 2022 for the hospitality sector.

Lucy Frazer: The temporary reduced rate of VAT was introduced on 15 July 2020 to support the cash flow and viability of around 150,000 businesses and protect over 2.4 million jobs in the hospitality and tourism sectors. As announced at Spring Budget 2021, the Government extended the 5 per cent temporary reduced rate of VAT for the tourism and hospitality sectors until the end of September 2021. On 1 October 2021, a new reduced rate of 12.5 per cent was introduced for these goods and services to help ease affected businesses back to the standard rate. This new rate will end on 31 March 2022. This relief has cost over £8 billion and, whilst all taxes are kept under review, there are no plans to extend the 12.5 per cent reduced rate of VAT. The Government has been clear that this relief is a temporary measure designed to support the sectors that have been severely affected by COVID-19. It is appropriate that as restrictions are lifted and demand for goods and services in these sectors increases, the temporary tax reliefs are first reduced, and then removed, in order to rebuild and strengthen the public finances.

Domicil: Taxation

Angela Crawley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of HMRC aligning their application processes to allow UK Companies to apply online for Certificates of Residence as is available to individuals and sole traders.

Lucy Frazer: HMRC recognises the importance of digital working and intends to introduce the facility for companies to apply for Certificates of Residence wholly online by 1 April 2022. This facility will also allow for partnerships and public bodies to apply for Certificates online, rather than needing to print out and send a form to HMRC.

Domicil: Taxation

Angela Crawley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking with HMRC to improve processing times for applications from UK businesses for Certificates of Residence.

Lucy Frazer: As announced at Tax Administration and Maintenance Day in November 2021, HMRC will embark on a project to improve processing times on Certificates of Residence for UK businesses. These improvements will come in the form of process changes and digital improvements.

Wealth: Taxation

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the open letter to the Chancellor from Partners in Progress, published 25 October 2021, if he will introduce a wealth tax on wealth holders.

Lucy Frazer: The Government is committed to a fair tax system in which those with the most contribute the most. For example, the UK’s progressive Income Tax system means the top 1 per cent of income taxpayers are projected to pay 28 per cent of all Income Tax, and the top 5 per cent are projected to pay 49 per cent in 2021-22. The UK does not have a wealth tax, but it does have several different taxes on assets and wealth. The UK taxes assets and wealth across many different transactions, including the acquisition, holding, transfer and the disposal of assets, as well as taxing the income derived from holding assets. In 2020, The Wealth Tax Commission, which has no connection or link to the Government, found that if considering Inheritance Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Stamp Duty, and Stamp Duty Land Tax, the UK is among the top of the G7 countries for wealth taxes as a percentage of total wealth. The Wealth Tax Commission also concluded that an annual wealth tax, reportedly suggested by the UK branch of the group behind the letter, would not be effective because of high administrative costs relative to revenue, and because it would be easy to avoid paying the tax. The Wealth Tax Commission’s suggestion of a potential one-off wealth tax in the UK would be a complex undertaking, and the amount of revenue raised would be highly dependent on the final design of the tax. It is also the case that any individual or private business wishing to make a greater contribution to the Exchequer can make voluntary payments to HMRC. More information about how to do so is available on GOV.UK.

Food: Prices

Sam Tarry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of rising food prices on working families.

Helen Whately: On 28 January 2022, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) restarted publication of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation series broken down by income decile. Publication of these series was previously suspended due to the unavailability of many items for price quotes during the pandemic. We understand the pressure that a higher cost of living places on people, including increasing food prices. The government is working with international partners to tackle the global supply chain disruptions that are causing higher inflation, and is providing support worth around £12 billion this financial year and next to help families with the cost of living. Alongside this, the government has announced a package of support to help households with rising energy bills, worth £9.1 billion in 2022-23.

Food: Prices

Sam Tarry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to control inflation on food prices.

Helen Whately: As the global economy recovers, many countries are experiencing high inflation, in part due to pressures from rising energy prices and disruptions to global supply chains. These global pressures are the main driver of higher inflation in the UK. The government’s commitment to price stability remains absolute. The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee is responsible for controlling inflation and since they became responsible for controlling inflation it has averaged close to the 2% target. We understand the pressure that a higher cost of living places on people. The government is working with international partners to tackle global supply chain disruption and providing support worth around £12 billion this financial year and next to help families with the cost of living. Alongside this, the government has announced a package of support to help households with rising energy bills, worth £9.1 billion in 2022-23.

Food: Prices

Sam Tarry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) adequacy of the way in which the ONS (i) collects and (ii) reports food prices.

Helen Whately: The Consumer Prices Index and Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing inflation series are produced by the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS) in line with international best practice and the Office for Statistics Regulation assess that it meets the highest standard of quality providing it with National Statistics status. This Government welcomes long-standing ONS plans to further improve the way it constructs inflation statistics, for example by incorporating scanner data into its price collections.

Hospitality Industry and Tourism: Coronavirus

Mark Menzies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to continue to support the hospitality and tourism sector in its recovery from the Omicron covid-19 variant and related disruption.

Helen Whately: In December 2021 the government announced a £1bn package of support for businesses impacted by the Omicron variant. This included cash grants of up to £6,000 to support eligible businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors, totaling nearly £700 million, open until the end of March 2022. This is just the latest action taken, and adds to an already comprehensive package of measures intended to support the recovery of sectors most impacted, including:  A reduced rate of 12.5% VAT on hospitality and tourism services.Business rates bills cut by 75% over 2021-22, and a further 50% relief in 2022-23, for over 90% of eligible businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors.A freeze to the business rates multiplier in 2022-23, worth £4.6bn.The Recovery Loan Scheme, which has been extended to 30 June 2022, providing SMEs with up to £2 million of government guaranteed finance. It is thanks to the Government’s decisive action to implement balanced and proportionate measures in response to the Omicron variant, that Cabinet has decided to return to Plan A in England. This means the economy will get back to operating freely and businesses, including those in the hospitality and tourism sector, can recover more quickly.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Cuba: Food and Agriculture Organization

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her US counterpart on the operations of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation in Cuba.

Vicky Ford: The UK has regular discussions with the US and other member states on the FAO's work across a wide range of policy and geographic priorities, as well as with countries in the Latin America Group, of which Cuba is a member.

India: Rape

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support civil society organisations in India campaigning for the criminalisation of marital rape.

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made representations to the Government of India on its recent judicial interventions relating to the criminalisation of marital rape.

Amanda Milling: The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions work closely with Indian civil society and non-governmental organisations that are directly promoting women's awareness of their rights and supporting survivors of sexual violence through the Indian criminal justice system. Our project work primarily tackles the drivers of human rights violations, working with minority communities to encourage empowerment, promote women's rights and demonstrate our support. We are working with the Gender Resource Center of the Madhya Pradesh Police to train a core group of officers on tackling crimes against women and scaling up good practices. From 2016-2019, with the support of British businesses, we supported the training of over 33,000 garment sector workers across India on their legal rights to tackle sexual harassment in the workplace.We engage with India on a range of human rights matters, working with Union and State Governments, and with non-governmental organisations, to build capacity and share expertise to promote human rights for all. Where we have concerns, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at ministerial level.

Amal Nakhleh

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the condition of 18-year-old Amal Nakhleh, who has contracted covid-19 while held in administrative detention without charge by Israeli authorities since January 2021; and if she will make a statement.

James Cleverly: Officials from the British Embassy Tel Aviv raised Amal Nakhleh's case with the Israeli Ministry of Justice on 27 January. We remain committed to encouraging the Government of Israel to secure improvements to the practices surrounding the treatment of detainees, including access to essential healthcare, and regularly raise this with the Israeli Ministry of Justice.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what further poverty mitigating measures she is planning to support families who are subject to the benefits cap.

David Rutley: This Government is wholly committed to supporting people on lower incomes through a range of measures, including by spending over £110 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2021/22. With around 1.25 million vacancies across the UK our focus is firmly on supporting people into and to progress in work as this is the best way to substantially reduce the risks of poverty. Our multi-billion-pound Plan for Jobs, which has been expanded by £500 million, is helping people across the UK to find work and to boost their wages and prospects. The new 'Way to Work’ campaign is a national drive to get half a million people who are out of work into jobs in the next five months and, in doing so, supporting people take their next step to building a more secure and prosperous future.The benefit cap provides a strong work incentive and fairness for hard-working taxpaying households and encourages people to move into work, where possible. Households can still receive benefits up to the equivalent salary of £24,000, or £28,000 in London. Exemptions apply to Universal Credit households if the household earnings are at least £617 each month and to Housing Benefit claimants that are entitled to Working Tax Credits. Households receiving disability benefits and/or entitled to carer benefits are also exempt to ensure the most vulnerable are supported. Claimants that need additional support to meet rental costs can approach their Local Authority for a Discretionary Housing Payment. In addition, vulnerable households across the country can access a £500 million support fund to help them with essentials. The Household Support Fund provides £421 million to help vulnerable people in England with the cost of food, utilities and wider essentials. The Barnett Formula applies in the usual way, with the devolved administrations receiving almost £80 million.

Children: Maintenance

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the number of deductions of earnings orders, rather than deductions of earnings requests, being issued by the Child Maintenance Service to the Ministry of Defence's Defence Business Services.

Guy Opperman: Deduction from Earnings Orders (DEO) are applied as a method of payment where the Child Maintenance Service deducts maintenance directly from the Paying Parent’s wages. The DEO is primarily used to enforce payments but can be set up voluntarily. Deduction from Earnings Requests are similar to a Deduction from Earnings Order but used for Paying Parents who are serving members of the Armed Forces. The Child Maintenance Service can only request a deduction to the Ministry of Defence (MOD), unlike civilian employers they cannot order or enforce payment. MOD policy aims to comply with requests however if the Paying Parent is committed to operational duties MOD may suspend the collection of debt. Child Maintenance Service takes action to ensure the correct method of payment is applied through identifying whether a Paying Parent is in the Armed Forces through its use of Real Team Information (RTI) Data taken from HMRC. This provides up to date information about Pay As You Earn income as the information submitted by employers online is displayed in RTI immediately. To ensure that the correct method of payment is used for a Paying Parent who is serving in the Armed Forces caseworkers are provided with step by step procedural instructions and training. As at September 2021 Child Maintenance Service had 45,054 Deduction from Earnings Orders and 479 Deduction from Earnings Requests in operation. (source - Published stats – stat-xplore – CMS Paying Parents = method of payments).

Social Security Benefits: Private Rented Housing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to support claimants who are subject to the benefits cap and who are defaulting on private rental costs.

David Rutley: The benefit cap provides a strong work incentive and fairness for hard-working taxpaying households and encourages people to move into work, where possible. Households can still receive benefits up to the equivalent salary of £24,000, or £28,000 in London. Claimants that need additional support to meet rental costs can approach their Local Authority for a Discretionary Housing Payment. Since 2011, the Government has provided almost £1.5 billion in Discretionary Housing Payments to local authorities.

Energy: Billing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the adequacy of support available to claimants to meet the rise in energy bills.

David Rutley: Department for Work and Pensions Ministers engage regularly with their Ministerial counterparts in other Departments, taking a collective approach to the policies and interventions that can make a difference.

Social Security Benefits: Private Rented Housing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she made of the impact of the Benefit Cap on private renters in areas with high rental costs.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the impact of the benefits cap on larger families in the private rented sector in areas of high rental costs.

David Rutley: The Government firmly believes that it is in the best interests of children to be in working households and the benefit cap provides a clear incentive to move into work. The benefit cap provides fairness for hard-working tax payers. Households can still receive benefits up to the equivalent salary of £24,000, or £28,000 in London.The Local Housing Allowance determines the maximum financial support available for renters in the private rented sector but are not intended to meet all rents in all areas. In April 2020, Local Housing Allowance rates were increased to the 30th percentile of local rents. This investment of nearly £1 billion provided 1.5 million claimants with an average £600 more housing support in 2020/21 than they would otherwise have received. Local Housing Allowance rates have been maintained at their 2021/22 increased levels and will remain at those levels for 2022/23, so that everyone who benefitted from the increase will continue to do so. For those who require additional support, Discretionary Housing Payments are available. Since 2011, we have provided almost over £1.5 billion in Discretionary Housing Payments to local authorities, for households who need additional support with their housing costs.

Social Security Benefits: Cost of Living

John McNally: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the sufficiency of legacy benefits in supporting constituents with rising fuel costs and costs of living; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of backdating the £20 uplift to those who were ineligible.

David Rutley: The uplift to Universal Credit was a temporary measure. We have no plans to complete an assessment of backdating it.

Social Security Benefits: Private Rented Housing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she had with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on the (a) setting of Broad Market Rental Area boundaries and (b) impact of those boundaries on the expenditure of families affected by the Benefit Cap.

David Rutley: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions meets regularly with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on housing matters; however, rent officers at the Valuation Office Agency have responsibility for setting broad rental market area (BRMA) boundaries in England. BRMAs, of which there are 192 in Great Britain, are determined in accordance with requirements laid down in legislation. Each area must contain a variety of property types and tenures, sufficient privately rented accommodation and access to facilities for health, education, recreation, banking and shopping. Where rent officers decide that a boundary should be moved, they must carry out a review, consulting with affected Local Authorities among others, and submit a recommendation to the Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions to make a decision. The Benefit Cap provides a strong work incentive and fairness for hard-working taxpaying households and encourages people to move into work, where possible. Households can still receive benefits up to the equivalent salary of £24,000, or £28,000 in London. Claimants that need additional support to meet rental costs can approach their Local Authority for a Discretionary Housing Payment.

Local Housing Allowance: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Broad Market Rental Area (BMRA) in York which extends into the wider area of North Yorkshire and impacts on the level of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) set for the City of York where housing costs are higher, whether she plans to take steps in response to the impact of the BMRA on people living in the City of York in receipt of LHA, including those affected by the Benefit Cap.

David Rutley: The Local Housing Allowance determines the maximum financial support available for renters in the private rented sector but are not intended to meet all rents in all areas. The boundaries of a Broad Rental Market Area (BRMA) do not have to match the boundaries of a local authority, and BRMAs will often fall across more than one constituency or Local Authority area. Each BRMA must contain a variety of property types and tenures, sufficient privately rented accommodation and access to facilities for health, education, recreation, banking and shopping. In April 2020, Local Housing Allowance rates were increased to the 30th percentile of local rents. This investment of nearly £1 billion provided 1.5 million claimants with an average £600 more housing support in 2020/21 than they would otherwise have received. For some areas the average increase was higher for example in York the Local Housing Allowance two-bedroom rate increased by over £114 per month or £1373 per year. Local Housing Authority rates have been maintained at their increased levels in 2021/22 and will remain at those levels for 2022/23, so that everyone who benefitted from the increase will continue to do so. For those who require additional support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available. Since 2011, we have provided almost over £1.5 billion in DHPs to Local Authorities, for households who need additional support with their housing costs. The benefit cap provides a strong work incentive and fairness for hard-working taxpaying households and encourages people to move into work, where possible. Households can still receive benefits up to the equivalent salary of £24,000, or £28,000 in London.

Universal Credit: Disqualification

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claims were suspended in each month from January 2016 to February 2021.

David Rutley: The increase in suspensions seen from 2020, particularly in May and June 2020 could be attributed to the rapid increase in claims to UC during the Covid pandemic when there were over 10 times the usual number of claims made. Over 550,000 claims for Universal Credit were made in each week ending 26 March and 2 April 2020 compared to an average of 54,000 claims per week before the first national lockdown. The requested information is provided in the attached spreadsheet. Attachment (xlsx, 11.9KB)

Pensioners: Disposable Income

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the impact of the increased cost of energy on the disposable income of people in receipt of the State Pension, after the measures announced on 3 February 2022 have been applied.

Guy Opperman: No assessment has been made. This country has never paid our pensioners more. This year, we will spend over £129 billion on the State Pension and benefits for pensioners in Great Britain. From April, The Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Act 2020 raised the State Pension by 2.5% from April 2021 although CPI was 0.5% and earnings were negative. From April, the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension will be around £720 more in 2022/23 than if it had been up-rated by prices since 2010. That’s a rise of over £2,300 in cash terms. In addition, around 1.4 million eligible pensioners across Great Britain receive around £5 billion annually in Pension Credit, which tops up their retirement income and act as a passport to other financial help, such as support with housing costs, council tax, heating bills and a free TV licence for those over 75. Cold weather payments are payable to those in receipt of Pension Credit and the warm home discount - a rebate of £140 on a customer’s energy bill - is available to those in receipt of Pension Credit Guarantee Credit. From 2022/23 the eligibility criteria for the warm home discount scheme will be extended to a greater number of Pension Credit customers and the payment increased to £150. Customers of State Pension age are also entitled to an annual Winter Fuel payment worth up to £300. This winter we will pay over 11m pensioners a winter fuel payment at an annual cost of £2bn which is a significant contribution to winter fuel bills.The Chancellor’s announcement on 3 February of a package of support to help households with rising energy bills, worth £9.1 billion in 2022-23, will also be available to eligible pensioners. Further support for pensioners includes free eye tests and NHS prescriptions worth around £900m every year and free bus passes worth £1bn every year.

State Retirement Pensions: Uprating

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will review the value of the state pension in the context of the increase in the energy price cap.

Guy Opperman: This country has never paid our pensioners more. This year, we will spend over £129 billion on the State Pension and benefits for pensioners in Great Britain. From April, The Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Act 2020 raised the State Pension by 2.5% from April 2021 although CPI was 0.5% and earnings were negative. From April, the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension will be around £720 more in 2022/23 than if it had been up-rated by prices since 2010. That’s a rise of over £2,300 in cash terms. In addition, around 1.4 million eligible pensioners across Great Britain receive around £5 billion annually in Pension Credit, which tops up their retirement income and act as a passport to other financial help, such as support with housing costs, council tax, heating bills and a free TV licence for those over 75. Cold weather payments are payable to those in receipt of Pension Credit and the warm home discount - a rebate of £140 on a customer’s energy bill - is available to those in receipt of Pension Credit Guarantee Credit. From 2022/23 the eligibility criteria for the warm home discount scheme will be extended to a greater number of Pension Credit customers and the payment increased to £150. Customers of State Pension age are also entitled to an annual Winter Fuel payment worth up to £300. This winter we will pay over 11m pensioners a winter fuel payment at an annual cost of £2bn which is a significant contribution to winter fuel bills.The Chancellor’s announcement on 3 February of a package of support to help households with rising energy bills, worth £9.1 billion in 2022-23, will also be available to eligible pensioners. Further support for pensioners includes free eye tests and NHS prescriptions worth around £900m every year and free bus passes worth £1bn every year.

Pensioners: Cost of Living

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking with Chancellor of the Exchequer to help support pensioners with increases in the cost of living.

Guy Opperman: This country has never paid our pensioners more. This year, we will spend over £129 billion on the State Pension and benefits for pensioners in Great Britain. From April, The Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Act 2020 raised the State Pension by 2.5% from April 2021 although CPI was 0.5% and earnings were negative. From April, the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension will be around £720 more in 2022/23 than if it had been up-rated by prices since 2010. That’s a rise of over £2,300 in cash terms. In addition, around 1.4 million eligible pensioners across Great Britain receive around £5 billion annually in Pension Credit, which tops up their retirement income and act as a passport to other financial help, such as support with housing costs, council tax, heating bills and a free TV licence for those over 75. Cold weather payments are payable to those in receipt of Pension Credit and the warm home discount - a rebate of £140 on a customer’s energy bill - is available to those in receipt of Pension Credit Guarantee Credit. From 2022/23 the eligibility criteria for the warm home discount scheme will be extended to a greater number of Pension Credit customers and the payment increased to £150. Customers of State Pension age are also entitled to an annual Winter Fuel payment worth up to £300. This winter we will pay over 11m pensioners a winter fuel payment at an annual cost of £2bn which is a significant contribution to winter fuel bills.The Chancellor’s announcement on 3 February of a package of support to help households with rising energy bills, worth £9.1 billion in 2022-23, will also be available to eligible pensioners. Further support for pensioners includes free eye tests and NHS prescriptions worth around £900m every year and free bus passes worth £1bn every year.

Universal Credit

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the oral Statement of 22 July 2019, Official Report, column 1146, what steps her Department is taking in line with the listen-and-adapt, evidence-based approach in managing the migration of legacy benefit claimants onto universal credit.

David Rutley: The pilot that had been active in Harrogate was suspended as the Department focused on delivering its part of the Government’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As we restart managed migration this year, our approach will initially focus on improving our understanding across a number of key areas, to ensure we can move people over to Universal Credit smoothly. While noting the differing circumstances of legacy claimants, we want to understand how to best notify claimants about their move. We will consider where barriers to the service may exist and the different levels of support required to make a successful claim.

Social Security Benefits: Private Rented Housing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to provide additional support for housing costs to families who are facing significant increases in their private rent.

David Rutley: In April 2020, Local Housing Allowance rates were increased to the 30th percentile of local rents. This investment of nearly £1 billion provided 1.5 million claimants with an average £600 more housing support in 2020/21 than they would otherwise have received. Local; Housing Allowance rates have been maintained at their 2021/22 increased levels and will remain at those levels for 2022/23, so that everyone who benefitted from the increase will continue to do so. For those who require additional support, Discretionary Housing Payments are available. For 2021-22, the Government has made available £140 million in DHP funding for local authorities in England and Wales to distribute to help support vulnerable people with housing costs. Since 2011 we have provided almost over £1.5 billion in DHPs.

Local Housing Allowance

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2021 to Question 79261 on Local Housing Allowance, if her officials will produce that estimate.

David Rutley: The information requested on 30th November 2021, to estimate the additional number of private renters who would experience a shortfall if Local Housing Allowance rates are frozen, is not readily available and to provide it would incur a disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits: Cost of Living

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to increase the benefit cap in response to the rise in the cost of living.

David Rutley: There is a statutory duty for the Secretary of State to review the benefit cap levels once in each Parliament. The review will happen at the appropriate time, as determined by the Secretary of State.

Pension Credit

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the increase in the energy price cap announced on 3 February 2022, what steps she is taking to encourage eligible people to claim pension credit.

Guy Opperman: The Department has undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit and encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. This has included a Pension Credit media day of action in June and working with stakeholders such as the BBC and Age UK. We have also set up the Pension Credit working group, made up of a diverse range of organisations with reach and expertise, and including pensioner charities, the BBC, British Telecom, Virgin Money and the Local Government Association. The group is tasked with identifying new practical initiatives that we can work on together to help increase Pension Credit take up. Over the coming weeks, all pensioners in Great Britain, over 11 million people, will receive information about Pension Credit in a leaflet accompanying their annual up-rating letter. This includes prominent messaging highlighting that an award of Pension Credit can also open the door to a range of additional benefits – not only extra help with fuel costs, but also help with rent and a free over-75 TV licence. Our initial internal management information suggests new claims for Pension Credit in the past twelve months to December 2021 were around 136,000, representing an increase of around 30% compared to the 12 months to December 2019 when they were around 105,000. It also suggests that we have been receiving consistently high volumes of claims over recent months, at around 3,300 per week. This management information has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but are provided here in the interests of transparency. The latest Pension Credit take-up statistics are due for publication on 24 February. These will cover the financial year 2019/20.

Personal Independence Payment

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many personal independence payment applications are refused at the (a) initial application, (b) mandatory reconsideration and (c) tribunal stage.

Chloe Smith: The number of PIP claims disallowed at initial clearance is available on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html. PIP dispute customer journey statistics are available for new PIP applications as part of the PIP Official Statistics quarterly release. The latest release is available here:Personal Independence Payment statistics to October 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Pension Credit

Selaine Saxby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of pensions credit uptake among eligible people in each constituency in the past twelve months.

Guy Opperman: The latest Pension Credit take-up statistics are due for publication on 24 February. These will cover the financial year 2019/20. Due to the sample size used to estimate Pension Credit take-up statistics, figures cannot be broken down to a constituency level. Since then, the Department has undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit, encourage pensioners to check their eligibility, and to make a claim. This has included a Pension Credit media day of action in June, working with stakeholders such as the BBC and Age UK. Our initial internal management information suggests new claims for Pension Credit in the past twelve months to December 2021 were around 136,000, representing an increase of around 30% compared to the 12 months to December 2019 when they were around 105,000. It also suggests that we have been receiving consistently high volumes of claims over recent months, at around 3,300 per week. This management information has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but are provided here in the interests of transparency. The impact of these claim volumes on numbers of successful awards and on Pension Credit take-up will take longer to establish given the usual cycle involved in producing those statistics.

COP26

Renewable Energy: International Cooperation

Derek Thomas: To ask the President of COP26, what progress has been made (a) at and (b) since COP26 on encouraging other (i) countries, (ii) public and private financial institutions and (iii) multilateral development banks to help shift international support from fossil fuels to clean energy.

Alok Sharma: On Energy Day at COP26, the UK announced a joint statement to end international public support for the unabated fossil fuel energy sector by 2022 and prioritise support for the clean energy transition. This has been signed by an ambitious group of 34 countries and 5 public finance institutions, from both developed and developing countries. Collectively, this could move an estimated $24bn a year in public support out of fossil fuels and into the clean energy transition. The initial launch of this statement has set the level of ambition and created the political landscape required to secure similar commitments this year and beyond. This initiative remains a clear priority for the UK Presidency. We intend to work with the signatories to meet the commitments of the joint statement, as well as to continue to expand the signatory base throughout 2022. A key focus will be securing support from additional financiers of international fossil fuels and influencing multinational fora to continue to raise ambition on this agenda. In relation to private financial institutions, over 450 institutions, responsible for over $130 trillion of private finance assets, committed to science-based, robust net zero targets through the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), within the UN’s Race to Zero. Firms have committed to come forward with 2025 or 2030 decarbonisation targets and over 90 asset managers or asset owners have already set targets for 2025 or 2030. These commitments will help shift the global financial system towards greener investments.

Fossil Fuels: Development Aid

Derek Thomas: To ask the President of COP26, what discussions he has had with international partners on following the UK in ending support for fossil fuel projects overseas.

Alok Sharma: COP26 set the gold standard on aligning international public finance with the goals of the Paris Agreement. 34 countries and 5 finance institutions have committed to end international public finance for fossil fuel energy projects by the end of 2022. Collectively, this could move $24bn of public finance out of fossil fuels and into the clean energy transition. This is the first time a COP Presidency has prioritised this issue to drive forward progress. The UK is now actively working with fellow signatories to support the delivery of these commitments, as well as expanding the signatory base and continuing to push global ambition on this agenda throughout 2022.

Home Office

Asylum: Mental Illness

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training her Department is providing to its staff to enable them to identify asylum seekers arriving in the UK with mental health issues.

Kevin Foster: Border Force personnel receive training on identifying and helping vulnerable people at the UK border. All Home Office staff and contractors engaging with asylum seekers are trained to adopt a risk-based approach towards potential indications of vulnerability and to refer relevant cases onto the Safeguarding Hub, a dedicated resource assigned to identifying and safeguarding vulnerable asylum seekers. The Safeguarding Hub works closely with the statutory agencies to signpost vulnerable customers for support with their health and social care needs Additionally, asylum seekers have full access to the advisory services provided by Migrant Help.The Home Office continues to support conversations on improving the mental health of refugees and asylum seekers including through its National Asylum Seeker Health Steering Group, bringing together representatives the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS, Devolved Administrations and Non-Governmental Organisations.

Alcoholic Drinks: Minimum Prices

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to monitor the (a) health and (b) other impacts of minimum unit alcohol pricing in Wales.

Kit Malthouse: The Government notes the decision of the Welsh Government to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol in Wales. There are no plans to introduce minimum unit pricing in England

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Chief Scientific Advisers

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many meetings he had with his Department's Chief Scientific Adviser from (a) 1 March to 31 May 2021, (b) 1 June to 31 August 2021 and (c) 1 September to 30 November 2021.

Mr Alister Jack: The Scotland Office does not have its own departmental Chief Scientific Adviser. Ministers of the Department regularly meet with a wide range of officials across Whitehall on a variety of issues.

Department for International Trade

Imports: Australia

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to her oral statement of 5 January 2022, Official Report, columns 64 to 67, what assessment she has made of the compatibility of standards between UK and Australian (a) beef, (b) lamb, (c) pork, (d) poultry and (e) eggs; what the evidential basis is for the conclusion that (a) pork, eggs and poultry were not and (b) beef and lamb are at a compatible level; and if she will publish that assessment and evidential basis.

Penny Mordaunt: There is nothing in the Australia agreement that will lower or compromise the UK’s high food, animal welfare or environment standards. Imports will still have to meet the same respective UK and Australian food safety and biosecurity standards.We have secured ground-breaking provisions on Animal Welfare with Australia, including a standalone Animal Welfare chapter. This includes a non-regression and non-derogation clause, which is a first in any FTA.The Department for International Trade publishes impact assessments that are conducted after negotiations have concluded. This can be found on our website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-australia-fta-impact-assessment

Trade Agreements: USA

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent assessment she has made of the potential effect of a UK-US free trade agreement on living standards for households across the UK.

Penny Mordaunt: A UK-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) could have a significant positive impact on living standards for households across the UK due to potential wage rises combined with lower prices for goods imported from the US. The Department for International Trade (DIT) analysis published in 2020 shows that an ambitious FTA with the US could deliver a £15.3 billion increase in bilateral trade and a £3.4 billion lift to the UK economy. DIT’s analysis also suggests productivity gains from a UK-US FTA could contribute to wage increases of up to £1.8 billion for UK workers in the long run. Further detail can be found in the report on https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uks-approach-to-trade-negotiations-with-the-us

Department for International Trade: UK Visas and Immigration

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, for what reason her Department paid the UK Visa’s and Immigration £1,199.00 on 21 June 2021.

Penny Mordaunt: This expense is for a Tier 2 sponsorship application and visa payment for a member of staff joining the department from overseas. I refer the Hon. Member for Torfaen to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Islington South and Finsbury on 27 October 2021, UIN: 58794.

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership: Dispute Resolution

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department has carried out an internal assessment of the provisions within the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership in relation to investor state dispute settlements.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department has carried out an assessment of potential impact of the provisions within the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership in relation to investor state dispute settlements on (a) businesses and (b) public services in the UK.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what non-governmental organisations her Department has received representations from in relation to investor state dispute settlement provisions in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of side letters in relation to investor state dispute settlements with nations who are currently signatories to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Penny Mordaunt: HM Government cannot comment on the sensitive detail of live negotiations; however, accession will only take place on terms beneficial to the UK.There has never been a successful investor state dispute settlement claim brought against the UK, nor has the threat of potential claims affected the Government’s legislative programme.As part of one of the largest consultation exercises ever run by HM Government, consultations were held with individuals, businesses, business associations, NGOs and public sector bodies on the UK potentially seeking accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. HM Government issued its response to this consultation in June 2021.

Department for International Trade: Expenditure

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, for what reason her Department paid £15,178,965.29 to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on the 12 October 2021, transaction number 410526.

Penny Mordaunt: £15,178,965.29 is the service charge the Department for International Trade pays to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for the OneHMG Platform for our overseas operations.

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership: Rules of Origin

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she will publish an assessment on the potential impact of Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership rules of origin on goods (a) produced domestically and (b) on sale in the UK market; and if she will make a statement.

Penny Mordaunt: The UK published its strategic approach to the negotiations in June 2021, which outlined how the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership’s Rules of Origin could give British exporters further opportunities to qualify for tariff free market access. This document included a detailed scoping assessment. Following the conclusion of negotiations, a full Impact Assessment will be published prior to scrutiny by parliament. These publications both set out the Government’s assessment of the potential long run effects of new free trade agreements which includes accounting for the implications of rules of origin.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Charities: Lotteries

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has plans to review statutory provisions for charity lotteries.

Chris Philp: Society lotteries are subject to limits on how much they can sell per draw and annually, as well as on the maximum prize they can offer.In March 2020, we legislated to increase the per draw sales limit for large society lotteries from £4 million to £5 million, to increase the maximum prize limit from £400,000 to £500,000, and to raise the annual sales limit from £10 million to £50 million.We are currently reviewing the impact of these changes.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to remove misinformation on covid-19 vaccines online.

Chris Philp: The Government takes the issue of disinformation very seriously. The Counter Disinformation Unit was stood up on 5 March 2020 to bring together cross-Government monitoring and analysis capabilities to provide a comprehensive picture of the extent, scope, and reach of misinformation and disinformation, including that relating to COVID-19. The CDU remains stood up.The Government is committed to ensuring that the information people access about COVID-19 and the vaccine is accurate, so that everyone is able to make informed decisions about their health. We are working with social media platforms to ensure promotion of authoritative sources of information, and to help them identify and remove incorrect claims about COVID-19 and the vaccine in line with their terms and conditions.The Online Safety Bill will force companies to tackle illegal misinformation and disinformation in scope of the Bill, and the biggest platforms will need to address legal but harmful material, including some types of harmful misinformation such as anti-vaccination content. However, we expect companies to take steps now to improve safety, and not wait for the legislation to come into force before acting.

Gambling: Reviews

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to publish the White Paper on the gambling review.

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department plans to publish a White Paper on the reform of the Gambling Act 2005.

Chris Philp: The Gambling Act Review is a priority for the department. We will publish a White Paper with our conclusions in the coming months.

Disinformation

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle disinformation.

Chris Philp: The Government takes the issue of misinformation and disinformation very seriously.The DCMS-led Counter Disinformation Unit is leading work to tackle this, bringing together monitoring and analysis capabilities across government and working with a range of partners, including social media platforms.Our Online Safety Bill will force companies to tackle misinformation and disinformation. However, we expect companies to take steps now to improve safety, and not wait for the legislation to come into force before acting.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Birds: Animal Breeding and Sales

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will take steps with Natural England to ensure duplication of submitted evidence and material is not required by applicants for licenses to breed and sell captive bred birds in line with Natural England's Framework Document 2017.

Rebecca Pow: Natural England's licensing system, including for captive birds, is designed to avoid duplication where possible. Where an applicant is asked to provide information that is similar or largely the same as previous applications this will be because circumstances or underlying evidence may have changed.